The Google Pixel Lawsuit: What You Need to Know

If you were somebody who treated yourself to one of Google's first-generation phones, the Google Pixel, then you could be eligible to receive a sum of money, depending on the outcome of a lawsuit that is currently ongoing against the tech giant. This lawsuit has been raised due to many consumers who have experienced problems with their devices, and who believe that the handset was sold in spite of known technical problems. If you’d like to know more about the lawsuit and how it could impact you, then read ahead.

What are the details?

It's been known for some time that the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones both suffer from a hardware problem, which Google has been quoted as describing as, "a hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec". Sounds confusing. In a nutshell, this translated to some difficulties in using the phone's microphone for some – but not all – owners of the device. This could mean trouble in trying to make telephone calls or activate the Google Assistant via voice command.

Google's take on the issue is that only around 1% of the Pixel and Pixel XL handsets are defective, a number that seems smaller than what has been reported. However, in the details of the lawsuit, it appears that within little more than a few weeks from launch, there were many users flooding retailers with complaints about microphone quality and performance.

It’s also said that Google’s response to the reported complaints was to offer full device replacements for people that were affected. However, the replacement phones were also defective in some cases, having the same hardware issue. Finally, the lawsuit highlights that Google continued to sell both handsets, despite knowing about these issues.

Will you be included in the lawsuit?

Unfortunately, the answer to this is no! The lawsuit has been filed in the United States and covers residents of the US who have bought one of these handsets. However, if you're a resident of the UK that has bought one of these handsets, and you've experienced the same problems as above, then you're advised to claim under your warranty, providing it is still in force; alternatively, you can contact your service provider, for example Carphone Warehouse. Depending upon the terms and conditions of your specific policy, you may also be able to claim against a private smartphone insurance plan, such as those offered through banks or insurance companies.

What about the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL?

In 2017, Google continued to develop their Pixel range of smartphones by launching the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL. From reports so far, this smartphone doesn't suffer from the same problem as the first, though we wouldn't expect the manufacturer to have made the same mistake twice.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have had some issues reported. One of these is related to poor colour saturation, though an update has already been released for the phones that provides much better colourisation on the display. The other issue is more worrying; screen burn, where an image leaves permanent shadows on the screen, has been raised by some users. However, it doesn’t affect every handset and could be covered under manufacturer warranty if found early after purchase.

Remember, it’s almost impossible for a phone to enjoy a problem-free launch, with most handsets requiring an update or two to reach their full potential, so don’t let these problems put you off what is otherwise a great Android device.

Speak to WiseGuys

If you have any concerns about your Google Pixel or any other smartphone, then you can speak to one of our experienced technical support team by calling us on 0808 123 2820. We can advise on any known faults and offer support, advice or a fix for specific issues.